SB SPACE @ ARL $ARLS001   
   ARLS001 ISS CubeSat Deployment, "Ham Video" Commissioning Postponed   
      
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   Space Bulletin 001  ARLS001   
   > From ARRL Headquarters   
   Newington, CT  February 7, 2014   
   To all radio amateurs   
      
   SB SPACE ARL ARLS001   
   ARLS001 ISS CubeSat Deployment, "Ham Video" Commissioning Postponed   
      
   Two Amateur Radio-related activities aboard the International Space   
   Station have been postponed. The deployment of Amateur Radio   
   CubeSats planned for February 6 has been put off, and a new date has   
   not yet been announced. NASA reported that astronaut Koichi Wakata,   
   KC5ZTA, this week installed a deployer mechanism that will be used   
   in concert with the Kibo robotic arm to release the first set of   
   CubeSats. He ran into difficulty last week installing some related   
   electronics, delaying the CubeSat deployments. NASA now wants to   
   make sure the CubeSats do not fall into the intended orbit of the   
   Global Precipitation Measurement satellite, which goes into space   
   later this month.   
      
   The CubeSats were aboard the Cygnus freighter that launched from   
   Virginia's Eastern Shore January 9. Since arriving, the CubeSats   
   have been awaiting deployment by the Kibo robotic arm. The   
   satellites include Lithuania's first two satellites - LituanicaSat-1   
   and LitSat-1 - as well as ArduSat-2, UAPSat-1, and the 915 MHz   
   SkyCube. LituanicaSat-1 carries a 145/435 MHz FM transponder, while   
   LitSat-1 will have a 435/145 MHz linear SSB/CW transponder. The   
   Kaunas University of Technology developed LituanicaSAT-1, while the   
   Lithuanian Space Federation developed LitSat-1. Mineo Wakita,   
   JE9PEL, has posted details of these and other Amateur Radio   
   satellites due for deployment this month at,   
   http://www.amsat.org/amsat/archive/amsat-bb/10day/msg101271.html .   
      
   Meanwhile, the European Space Agency has postponed the commissioning   
   of the "Ham Video" system aboard the ISS Columbus module, which had   
   been set to start this week as well. ARISS-Europe Chairman Gaston   
   Bertels, ON4WF, said the four commissioning steps most likely will   
   take place on weekend dates in March, and that a couple of the steps   
   may be combined to condense the process.   
      
   "The agenda is still to be finalized," he said. NASA astronaut Mike   
   Hopkins, KF5LJG, was to have installed the Ham TV equipment this   
   week and connected the 2.4 GHz transmitter to the ARISS 41 antenna   
   already installed on Columbus. NASA reported that Hopkins spent much   
   February 6 in the Tranquility module troubleshooting the carbon   
   dioxide removal assembly there. Hopkins also will be involved with   
   the Ham Video commissioning process.   
      
   Once operational, the Ham Video transmitter will be used for ARISS   
   educational contacts with schools in Europe. There are no immediate   
   plans to deploy downlink video for US ARISS, in part because no   
   North American ground stations have been planned.   
   NNNN   
   /EX   
      
      
   )\/(ark   
      
   One of the great tragedies of life is the murder of a beautiful theory by a   
   gang of brutal facts. --Benjamin Franklin   
      
   --- FMail/Win32 1.60   
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